FIRING A ROCKET: STORIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROCKET ENGINES FOR THE SATURN LAUNCH VEHICLES AND THE LUNAR MODULE AS VIEWED FROM THE TRENCHES

by James R. French

Today we stand on the threshold of human flights to Mars—yet another giant leap from that one small step onto the moon. But Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride would have never made history, and humankind would not have touched the stars, if not for the men and women on the ground who lit the fuse that launched the first rockets.

Enthralled as a boy by the exploits of Flash Gordon and the novels of Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke—who put the science in science fiction—James French became one of the original unsung engineers of America’s groundbreaking space program. His fascinating memoir offers an up-close-and-technical look at building, testing, and perfecting the pioneering Saturn rockets and original lunar landing module, and he shares true tales, both humorous and harrowing, of life—and near death—on the front lines of scientific exploration.

If you’ve ever said, “It’s not rocket science,” you’re right. It’s rocket engineering—and here’s your chance to marvel at how it changed the world and made it possible to explore all that lies beyond Earth.

James R French graduated from MIT in 1958 with a degree of BSME Specializing in Propulsion.
His first job was with Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation where he worked on developmental testing of H-1 engines and combustion devices hardware for F-1 and J-2 engines used in Saturn 5. Mr. French has also worked at TRW Systems, where he was Lead Development Test Engineer on the Lunar Module Descent Engine, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he was Advanced Planetary studies Manager as well as Chief Engineer for the SP-100 Space Nuclear Power System and worked on Mariners 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; Viking 1 & 2 and Voyager 1 & 2. .

In 1986, he helped found American Rocket Co., a commercial launch company.Since 1987, Mr. French has been consultant to a variety of aerospace companies, SDIO, NASA, and USAF. He has participated in various startup companies in the private space flight arena and currently consults extensively to Blue Origin. Mr. French is co-author with Dr. Michael Griffin of the best-selling text Space Vehicle Design, published by AIAA. The second edition of the book has received the Summerfield Book Award for 2008.

Mr. French is a Fellow of both AIAA and the British Interplanetary Society and a 50+ year member of AIAA. He has held several Technical Committee and other posts in AIAA.

Cover design by Evan Twohy

Genres: Space, Science, Nonfiction, Engineering, History

203 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short read about the experiences of a rocket test engineer involved with the 1950s-70s rockets which won the Cold War and took us to the moon. Really interesting to learn about the nuts and bolts aspects of rocket test, rather than just typical memoirs of high level managers or designers.

[Syed Ashrafulla · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is inaccessible unless you have a degree in aerospace engineering (or mechanical engineering). I have a degree in electrical engineering but I can't keep up with the terminology. As a result I get few to no lessons or ideas or even interesting parts to the book.

I quit the book near the halfway point when the author moved to STL. Apologies, I just am unable to parse all the issues that the author had to deal with as a test engineer. I can't feel the joy because I don't know what it means to use "fixed-diameter venturis for flow control" and adjust "the injector flow area by inserting shims to achieve the proper injector gap"

For comparison, How to Build an F1 Car added diagrams basically for every one of these descriptions. That book also used a ghost writer to bring the language to the layperson efficiently. The same was not done here.

[Jeff Greason · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the rocket test world, this will be an amusing set of anecdotes that ring very true. If you're not, you might either not believe it, or wonder what the big deal is. Jim French uses the matter of fact tone of one who has been there and done that. Real professionals don't dwell on the hair-raising nature of what they're doing; that's part of the job. But the book gives a great flavor of the profession. While French correctly points out that Big Government Rocketry today is a very different environment than the one he grew up on, I can assert from my own experience that in the private space world, the days of weekend work, long hours, and hundreds of tests a year live on.

[Paul Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. It was easy to read, despite the technical depth provided. Some of it was over my head but he has a knack of explaining things well in layman's terms. If you love rockets, especially the Saturn V, you'll enjoy this tale. He also has some funny stories and sometimes I felt like I was right there next to him while experiencing things. Great job!

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short autobiographical sketch and some vignettes from liquid rocket motor testing in the 1960s. Probably won't stand up as a standalone book but if you happen to have just read Ignition and want to hear about the motor side, this is a rewarding read. (Also it's free with Kindle Unlimited.)

A nice portrait of the industrial culture of the time.

[Gary Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you aren’t an engineer... Don’t read

Mice documentary on the development of the space program rocket engines, with a little humor mixed in. But, as I stated in the title. Don’t read unless you are an engineer.

[Tricia Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stories with great quotes

I liked the authors approach of telling stories of challenges and dicey moments. Sprinkled through the text are some great quotes on things like group think and safety.

[Marty Teramani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read.

A very interesting and detailed account of the author's career in rocket engine testing.
No BS, just the facts. It's basically "Everything you wanted to know about rocket engines, but didn't know enough to ask a question".

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little time capsule chronicling one of the most exciting times in rocket engine development. Jim cut his teeth testing some of the most historic American engines, including those that powered the mighty Saturn V to the Moon.

[Michael A. Simmons, Sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short history of the creation of rocket engines for NASA

A great short read! Wish it was longer. A lot of insight into rocket engine development in the 60's space program

[john cummings jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair read

Was quite the read,was not able to understand,some of the jargon used in the book once you were a ways in the book it got easier to understand

[Alain · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. The author has a knack for finding humor in situations and explaining thinks so that an reader with a good general mechanical knowledge can follow along.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review here: https://joellindstrom.com/2018/04/05/...

[george g miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and interesting book on a complex topic

Well written with wit and first person perspective without technical overload. A bit truncated to stay on topic But very enjoyable

[Fraser Kinnear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool oral-history of rocket engine testing. Enjoyed this more than "Ignition!" Couldn't believe how much testing was done in Inglewood in the 60's!!!

[Zak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of DC politics.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nerdy detailed inside look at rocket science.

You're interested in how the nuts and bolts of the Apollo Rocket program were designed and built, this novel is perfect. I'll be honest I did get lost in some of the detailed terminology and design aspects. It would have been nice if he had pictures or diagrams to explain some of the things he was describing.

[Joshua Dewald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but I got lost a bit in jargon

For someone very interested in the development/testing of some of our early rockets, this book is probably quite awesome. I actually found the anecdotes and close call stories exciting but as I dont have a real grasp and the various engines and their parts, many of the details were lost on me.

Some diagrams of the parts of the rockets, test chambers and relative sizes would have gone a long way.

[Joshua Barua · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting perspective on the development of the US space program. The book is quite technical though, and as an engineering student I only understood some of his technical descriptions. Will read again once I familiarize myself with basic rocket design.

[Paul Triller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reads more like one side of a conversation on a long road trip than a memoir. Filled with engineering-speak, but mixed in with an interesting view of the little things that made history possible.

[Darren Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short anecdotes from the authors life as a rocket test engineer